Everything about Qasr Amra totally explained
Qasr Amra (
Arabic: قصر عمرة) is the best-known of the
desert castles located in present-day eastern
Jordan. The castle was built early in the
8th century (probably between
711 and
715) by the
Umayyad caliph Walid I whose dominance of the region was rising at the time. The castle is thus one of the most important examples of early
Islamic art and
architecture.
The castle, which was used as a retreat by the caliph or his princes for sport and pleasure, is lined with
frescos that depict hunting scenes (of mammals long since hunted to extinction in the Middle East), fruit and nude women. The castle also contains a bath complex with a triple-vaulted ceiling that shows a
Roman influence.
Today Qasr Amra is in a poorer condition than the other desert castles, with
graffiti damaging some frescos. However, restoration projects are underway. The well and water system can be seen.
Abandoned structure was re-discovered by
Alois Musil in 1898. The castle was made a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in
1985 under criteria i), iii), and iv) ("masterpiece of human creative genius", "unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition" and "an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant stage in human history").
Alternate spellings
Transliteration from
Arabic gives rise to many spelling variants including Quseir Amra, Qasr Amrah, Qasayr Amra and Qusair Amra. However, the proper transliteration is
Quṣayr ʿAmra which means 'small palace of 'Amra'.
Further Information
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